Xavier Hutchinson 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Iowa State WR
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State: 6’2”, 205 pounds.
After a couple of years in junior college, Xavier Hutchinson was a top-ten JUCO wide receiver recruit in 2020. He immediately produced with the Cyclones with 64 catches for 771 yards and four touchdowns in his debut season.
Hutchinson cracked the 1,000-yard total mark as a senior on 85 touches, along with five scores, which made him a first-team All-Big-12 selection. Thanks to the COVID exception, he was allowed to return for another year and was even better, with career-highs across the board (107-1171-six), making him a second-team All-American.
Xavier Hutchinson scout report: Strengths
+ Explosive and sudden off the line to defeat press-coverage and then has enough juice to stack his corner vertically.
+ Varies his step-sequencing in his releases and is consistently able to attack the edges of defenders trying to mirror his releases, bringing a strong swipe with near-arm to avoid getting tugged.
+ I love the way he kind of walks out of his stance for one step and then shoots underneath to create space on shallow crossers.
+ Doesn’t telegraph routes, by staying disciplined with the initial stem and not getting over his skis to a point where he has to gear down prematurely.
+ Can really drop his pads and snap off curls.
+ Presents an attractive target on glance and dig routes, where you can pin the ball against his chest or put it out in front of him, along with protecting it when it comes it below his knees.
+ When the Cyclones allowed him to operate out of the slot, I thought Hutchinson’s ability to bend off the inside foot and create separation on breaks out to the sidelines was pretty impressive. This, along with the discipline to keep stemming on a line beforehand.
+ Recognizes when to flatten or drift his angles later on during plays against zone coverage, and doesn’t waste much time getting into a secondary route.
+ Thanks to his long arms and leaping ability, Hutchinson presents a large catch-radius and he’s been very reliable, with a drop rate of just 4.9%.
+ His ability to adjust his body mid-air leads to some great catches above the rim, or at least he forces the DB to interfere with him.
+ Tracks the deep ball at a high level, yet if he has to adjust to the back-shoulder, he uses his hands very well to create an opening for the pass to arrive.
+ Has dealt with slight off-target placements quite a bit (especially in 2022) and takes advantage of his frame by forcing defenders to go through him if they want to get a hand on the pass.
+ Understands where the bodies around him are as he secures the catch and either keeps running away from them or gets vertical, as he’s approaching a hang-defender or ancillary coverage in general.
+ Regularly fights for extra yardage and you see him spin out of several tackles, as well as stretch forward. He wraps the ball tightly and won’t allow defenders to punch it loose – only one career fumble across 256 touches.
+ With a 28.8% target share in 2021, it was all him and tight-end Charlie Kolar for Iowa State, and last season that number increased to 33.7% as “the dude.”
+ Smart and invested blocker, who recognizes pre-snap defensive movement and adjusts his initial angles accordingly.
+ Even when his corner blitzes, you see Hutchinson at least get a piece of them regularly.
Xavier Hutchinson scout report: Weaknesses
– Has to be more patient with setting up double-moves and not rush into the secondary break.
– When the distance the pass travels before getting to him, Hutchinson can be a little off with the way he addresses the ball, with sort of an elongated stretching of both arms together.
– Doesn’t provide any high-level athletic traits and will be labeled as a possession receiver by some, thanks to an average depth target of just 9.1 for his career.
– Lacks that extra gear to actually detach vertically.
– I like his fight with the ball in his hands, but he’s not somebody with that extra burst who really scares a defense because he may break one the distance (4.18 YAC on average last season).
Xavier Hutchinson scout report: Grade
Xavier Hutchinson has been one of my favorite receivers in the country for a couple of years now and I always thought his game would translate very well to the next level.
He’s not going to wow you with blazing speed to run past defenders or dynamic moves to dance around guys, but he simply gets the job done. Consistently you’ll see him dictate routes and create an angle for the ball to arrive, plus his ability to adjust his body in the air and win above the rim is up there with the very best in this class.
I certainly think Xavier Hutchinson can play the X. He’s springy off the line to win on slant routes and make corners flip their hips before he breaks them off. However, I like him best in the role of a power slot, thanks to his intelligence working against zone and the asset he can be as a blocker.
Grade: Early third round.
You might like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Zay Flowers (WR), Boston; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Jalin Hyatt (WR), Tennessee; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Quentin Johnston (WR), TCU; Zach Charbonnet (RB), UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.
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